The failure at the Oscars demonstrates a good point to remember: $#!& Happens. My take is that after much analysis, we will find that there were duplicate stacks of envelopes on both sides of the stage, and the wrong envelope was given to the presenters (Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway). Clearly, Mr. Beatty was confused and hoping someone would notice the problem and correct it. Unfortunately, it took a little longer.

It's interesting to note that there is a protocol for such things, and in an article from 2015, that protocol is outlined. It's also interesting to see that this has, indeed, happened before, albeit not for the "top" award.

The bottom line is that a mistake was made, it was spotted, it was corrected. It was embarrassing, but what in life isn't? People will be held accountable, apologies will be made, and everyone handled it with as much poise and grace as possible. Nobody died. I say Bravo.

My son likes to think he's a lawyer and, unlike many children who ask the same question over and over will often ask the same question multiple times but with different angles. At some point, usually pretty early (I like to think I'm a smart guy), I realize he's doing this, and I shift into giving a response that I've found works well. I can't claim credit for it, I read it on a parenting blog.

In short, when a child persists with the same question, simply respond, "Asked and Answered." It quickly shuts down the repeated questions because you're giving a repeated answer instead of trying to craft a new response to a repeated query.

This past weekend, White House Senior Advisor Stephen Miller was asked, time and again, about claims of rampant voter fraud. But it wasn't a case of being asked the same question multiple times, but simply asking for any evidence, much less proof, every time he made a new claim. And every time he made a new (and often different) claim, and was pressed for evidence, he simply responded

Asked and Answered

As if he were dealing with a petulant child. Or, more accurately, as if he was treating the media like a petulant child.

Because he was.

Welcome to the new Ministry of Propaganda. They seem to be finding their legs.